Electrotherapeutic massage appliance



May 26, 1925. 1,539,299

C. W. CHENEY ELEGTROTHERAPEUTI C- MAS SAGE APPLIANCE Filed March 15 1923 6' ,Zv'zve7z ior: Ukarzes' Z0. 002ml I Patented May 26, 1925. r

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES w. CHENEY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

nmorno'rnnnareu'rro Messiaen APPLIANCE.

Application filed March 15, 1923. Serial No.,625,305.

To all whom it m /concern:

, Be it known that I, CI-IARLEsW. CHENEY, a -citizen of.the United States of America and resider-t of'lloston, in the county of Suffolk and- State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrotherapeutic Massage Appliances, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an electro-therapeutic massage appliance.

One embodiment of the appliance is shown trated, I have shown the appliance as in-' cluding a base provided with a plurality movement of rotation, for massage treatof salient or projecting massaging members having a universal movement of rotation, in combination with means for supplying an electric current to the massaging members, so that -'simultaneously with the mechanical kneading or massaging of the flesh of the patient an electrical treatment may be applied to the parts subjected to the massaging.

While these massage members are here illustrated in the form of steel balls. supported for free movement of rotation in every direction, it is to be understood that in so far as the combined massage and electrical treatment is concernedot'her forms of rollers or massaging members might be employed and that the same might be partly instead of wholly made of electrically conductive material, the essential condition for the combined treatment being that the flesh engaging and kneading parts be adapted to carry an electric current to the parts of the subject engaged thereby and that the same be provided with a suitable conductor for connection to [a source of electrical energy.

In its mechanical aspects the invention also possesses important features .of'novelty and usefulness, such as the provision of massaging members supported for umversal J ment alone, with orwithout provision for electrical treatment. p v

The" structure shown ncludes a flexible base composed of two layers 1- and 2, preferably both of non-conducting or insulating material such as rubber containing therebetw'een the. flexible metallic screen 3 to which electric current may-be conducted as by the lead Wire 4: The member 1 has a number of perforations through which pro ject the metallic tubes or cylinders 5, having outwardly deflected ears 6 extending between the members 1 and 2 and secured in place as by means of rows of stitching 7. These members it will be noted are shown in contact with the conducting screen 3 to receive current therefrom.

Mounted within the tubes 5 are the massaging members 8-, which consist of steel balls projecting beyond the ends of the supporting tubes, but retained therein by the inturned lips 9 at the ends of the tubes, and at the back bearing against the annular row of anti-friction balls 10. The balls 10 ride on a track formed by the disc 11 re-" adapting the appliance to the hand of the user, such as the straps 14: to receive the hand as a sort of mitten capable of being readily bent and flexed for kneading or massaging operations or to conform to the particular configuration of the portion of the body on which the device is being used.

The member 2 being of insulating material, the conductor 3 is suitably-insulated to prevent the current from flowing through the 9 body of the masseur and to compel it to flow through the contact portions of the device to the patient, the patient being suitably grounded to insure proper completion of the electricv circuit. In this manner the device on the ban of the masseur may be satisfactorily passed over the body and used for any desired working or manipulation of the flesh, and the proper current for the electro-therapeutic portion of the treatment will simultaneouslyflow through the exact portion of I the body'which is the subject of the treatment at that particular moment.

While I have shown thedevice as com prising a plurality of rows of massaging members, it is of course apparent that but a single uni or any other arrangement or grouping of units, might be employed and that the particular configuration of the appliance might also be varied.

It will be further apparent that while I have illustrated a flexible screen 3 asforming the electrical-conducting means between the members 1 and 2, in place of a wire mesh individual wires or conductorsmi ht be employed as the electrical connections e- 1 tween the lead wire 4 and the massaging members.

It will also be understood that although a flexible base for carrying the massaging members will usually be preferable, a rigid or inflexible base may be used to advantage for some purposes. The appliance may be varied widely in form to adapt it to various special uses and I do not intend to be limited to the structure shown excepting as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for use in giving electrotherapeutic massage treatments comprising a base made up of at least two layers of insulating material, a plurality of massagprojecting through openings in one of the insulating layers and making electrical contact with the conducting fabric, and a massaging member mounted in each of said sockets.

3. A devioe'of the class described having a base comprising two layers of flexible insulating material, a layer of wire mesh fabric interposed between the layers of insulating material, a plurality of tubular sockets projecting through openings in one layer of insulating fabric, each of said sockets having a plurality of ears lying in contact with the wire mesh fabric, means for securing the ears to the base, and a massage member disposed in each-socket.

' 4. A device of the class described having a flexible base comprising tWo layers of flexible insulating material, a layer of flexible conducting material interposed between thelayers of insulating material, a plurality of .tubular sockets projecting through one of' the layers of insulating material and abutting 'the conducting material, each socket having a plurality of ears projecting through the conducting material and disposed between the latter and the outer layer of insulating material, means securing the several layers of flexible material together, a massage member mounted in each socket, and a strap secured at its opposite ends to the base providing a loop for the entrance of the users hand between it and the base.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this thirteenth day of. March, 1923.

CHARLES W. CHENEY. 

